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I wanted to enter but my pics are not near good enough and I just read the rules again that it has to be DIY public land and my hunt was DIY on private land. I hope to see to see some stories on here soon too!

I wanted to enter but my pics are not near good enough and I just read the rules again that it has to be DIY public land and my hunt was DIY on private land. I hope to see to see some stories on here soon too!

Well ya I don't think I can let that go. But I hope we get some story's soon too. Thanks MM. Oh and just cause you think your pics aren't good doesn't mean they aren't.

I forgot all about taking my camera when I went on the stalk and didnt think I had time to go back and get it and get him out all before dark so I ended up taking most of them on the tailgate of my truck other then a few I took with my phone which takes terrible pics. They are ok but not even close to magazine quality. I posted some of them and my story here. http://www.eastmans.com/forum/showth...ess-in-Wyoming

I forgot all about taking my camera when I went on the stalk and didnt think I had time to go back and get it and get him out all before dark so I ended up taking most of them on the tailgate of my truck other then a few I took with my phone which takes terrible pics. They are ok but not even close to magazine quality. I posted some of them and my story here. http://www.eastmans.com/forum/showth...ess-in-Wyoming

Great antelope! To bad the pics aren't the best but thanks for sharing anyway. Next time keep that camera in you pack!

Great antelope! To bad the pics aren't the best but thanks for sharing anyway. Next time keep that camera in you pack!

Thanks! I didnt even have my pack packed yet. I was just planning on looking around and getting things together for the next morning and I really wasnt expecting to even attempt a stalk that day but the right opportunity came up so I went out there and got him! I think it was a classic case of antelope fever

Thanks! I didnt even have my pack packed yet. I was just planning on looking around and getting things together for the next morning and I really wasnt expecting to even attempt a stalk that day but the right opportunity came up so I went out there and got him! I think it was a classic case of antelope fever

It was definitely on the list but umm..... lets just say at the time I was thinking gun bullets binos rangefinder tag. Think I was lucky to remember a knife at that particular time in my life! All I really knew is there was a nice antelope bedded in a perfect place to make a stalk and I was going to get him!

Now that things have slowed down for me, I decided to tell the story of my 2013 Oregon antelope hunt. It is long overdue, but better late than never right?

It was the late 90’s and I was in my twenties when I decided to hunt antelope in my home state of Oregon. Back then good antelope tags were taking 5-6 points to draw, that seemed reasonable at the time. There were a couple things I wasn’t aware of back then, a thing we know now call “points creep” and a baby girl named MaKenzie had just been born. 15 years later I drew an antelope tag and that newborn baby is now my 15 year old step daughter and hunting partner on my first antelope hunt.

We started scouting the area in June, the season started August 10th. I knew the unit had potential for an 80” or better buck, but finding one was going to be a challenge. The first thing we looked for were waterholes, a dry winter and spring took its toll and water was scarce. The first scouting trips were very discouraging though we did manage to find a few water holes and see a few antelope. Finally one an evening trip MaKenzie spotted what I was looking for, a true trophy class buck. We didn’t get to watch him for long but were very pleased to know he was there.

It wasn’t long and it was time to hunt, the first two days I had my wife, MaKenzie and my youngest step daughter with me. We were not far from camp when my wife spotted a herd of antelope on her side of the truck. I set up the spotting scope and saw a good buck in the herd. I decided to put a stalk on them and get a closer look while the girls stayed behind. About and hour later I could see that the buck was defiantly a good buck also that there was another buck, but neither one were the buck Makenzie and I had seen while scouting. I decided to pass on them and continue looking for the big guy.

Later that afternoon I met up with a friend who also had the tag, he told me another hunter drive by with a big 80” class buck on a 4-wheeler, I knew that was likely the one I was after. It was the only buck I had seen in the area that was near the 80” mark, I was a little disappointed and second guessing my choice to pass the bucks from that morning.

The next day my wife and youngest went home and it was just Makenzie and I for the next 5 days. We tried every tactic in the book and couldn’t turn up any bucks I wanted to take. Day 5 of the hunt MaKenzie was getting burned out, and to be honest I was getting a little weathered as well. I had to take MaKenzie home that evening for a scheduled event and decided to stay home that night to recharge my batteries and spend an evening with the family. MaKenzie decided she wanted to take a break and stay home for a couple days leaving me solo. I can’t say I blame her, it was hot, dusty and we weren’t seeing a whole lot.

The next day I decided to try a new waterhole some one told me about, after sitting there for 6 hours without seeing anything I had all I could stand and decided to go back to the area where MaKenzie and I had spent all our time. I didn’t see much that day and really missed having MaKenzie with me. My wife and the girls were planning on returning for the weekend and spend the last two days of season helping me out. I was really looking forward to having them with me. The day they were returning I spent most of the day sitting at the waterhole, it was very slow. That afternoon I decided to go back to where we started the hunt and look for the bucks I passed opening day. The girls were due to arrive in a couple hours, I was hoping to spot something for the next mornings hunt.

I was near where I wanted to be when I spotted a lone antelope under a juniper tree not far off the road. I slowed down and sure enough it was a nice buck! I continued up the road where it cut though a small ridge and parked the truck. I grabbed my rifle, range finder and few other things and started the stalk. I came up over the small ridge to see he was still standing there, I belly crawled to within 330 yards. I settled in for the shot, squeezed the trigger and in an instant the hunt was over. I had just killed my first antelope.

By then the girls were only about 30 minutes away. I let them know the hunt was over, and it all happened not far from camp. They drove directly to my location and they all celebrated with me, I was very happy to have them there. Even though I was alone when I shot the buck it didn’t seen like it since they arrived shortly after. We were able to capture some great photos but my favorite is the one with MaKenzie, my hunting partner.

When I drew that tag my main objective was to get a true trophy antelope. In the end I ended up with a good buck, a great hunt with my family and days I will never forget with MaKenzie. It would not have been nearly as much fun if she wasn’t along on the hunt. I hope someday to be her hunting partner when she draws an antelope tag, hopefully it will be before I’m 70!